Archive for the ‘Arts & Entertainment’ Category
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15
Dec
2009
Review of “Lost in New York”
Lost in Thought and Beauty: Review #2 for The New Face of Jazz
by: Cicily Janus
In the realm of the jazz world, it seems that artists are categorized into two different streams: Those who can and those who can’t. But I think there’s a third category that often gets buried. There are those who know how to turn their sheer will and hard work into success. In his debut album as a jazz artist, Suresh Singaratnam, who has been known as a hot young talent in the classical trumpet world, has now succeeded on all counts. His charming personality and melodic style stands out on his freshman release titled, Lost in New York. This album is truly one graced with beauty and much thought. Many artists in the jazz community, especially for their first releases, often put together albums that are compiled of single standards instead of creating a whole experience. What Suresh created with original content and panache was a body of work that tells a story of transition into modern cutting edge jazz….
30
Jul
2009
Another interview
Toronto Music Scene’s Tanya Bailey had a chance to chat with trumpeter Suresh Singaratnam who has won numerous awards and scholarships for his playing. Here’s what he had to say…read more at TorontoMusicScene.ca
15
Jul
2009
My first radio interview…
Who is Suresh? That’s what I was wondering when a West Virginia Public Radio listener suggested I listen to his album Two Hundred Sixty-One, Vol. 1… read more at WVPubcast - Blogs .
26
Jun
2009
24
Jun
2009
“The O’Reilly Procedure” from Roger Ebert’s Journal: Archives
Bill O’Reilly has been
brought low by the same process that afflicted Jerry Springer. Once respected journalists, they sold their souls for higher ratings, and follow their siren song. Springer is honest about it: “I’m going to Hell for what I do, and I know it,” he’s likes to say. O’Reilly insists he is dealing only with the truth. When his guests disagree with him, he shouts at them, calls them liars, talks over them, and behaves like a schoolyard bully.…read more at Roger Ebert’s Journal: Archives.
26
Apr
2009
It was fun while it lasted…..[update]
Ok, so anyone in Canada who’s looked at the classical music page on the iTunes store today has probably noticed that Two Hundred Sixty One: Vol 1 isn’t on the top 25 chart anymore. I guess I got bumped with the start of a new week, haha! Oh well, time to sell more copies and get back on there….
26
Apr
2009
Speaking of Progress…..
It’s been less than a week since we began the 261 Days campaign and Two Hundred Sixty-One: Vol. 1 has already broken into the top 25 chart for classical music on iTunes Canada. What’s even more surprising is, in less then 3 months, my recordings of Carnival of Venice and the Hindemith Trumpet Sonata are now the best selling recordings of those pieces on iTunes Canada! To everyone in Canada who’s reading this, please tell EVERYONE you know about what we’re trying to do here. If the album keeps climbing the classical charts, that’s more even exposure to help move things along toward 1,000,000.
Click here to buy the album on iTunes
Click here to learn more about the 261 Days Campaign to raise $2,000,000 for the Canadian Cancer Society
17
Apr
2009
Twitter Gets the Oprah Treatment - Bits Blog - NYTimes.com
By CLAIRE CAIN MILLER
It is the universal sign of a new idea going mainstream: Oprah Winfrey is bestowing her endorsement on Twitter.
The woman who can single-handedly send a new product or book flying off the shelves has just joined Twitter. She has not yet written a tweet, but more than 30,000 followers have already signed up to follow her every 140-character thought, and the number is growing. Rumor has it she will write her first tweet on Friday, when she isdedicating her show to Twitter…continue reading at NYTimes.com.
16
Apr
2009
Catching Up With the Cosby Kids - Yahoo! Buzz
by Mike Krumboltz
In the 1980s, “The Cosby Show” owned Thursday nights. A big part of the show’s success was the crew of kids who populated Heathcliff Huxtable’s household. Now with one of the Cosby alum developing a reality show, we thought it high time for a Web check-in on all the kids…and man, there were a lot of ‘em. Here they are, ranked in order of Search popularity….continue reading on Yahoo! Buzz.
14
Apr
2009
14
Apr
2009
“Stars Sans Fards”
The April issue of French Elle features eight female European celebrities–including Eva Herzigova, Monica Bellucci, Sophie Marceau, and Charlotte Rampling–all without makeup and, perhaps even more revealing, all entirely without Photoshopping or retouching of any kind. The mag’s headline “Stars Sans Fards” translates to “without rouge/makeup,” but it’s a French saying that also suggests a sense of “openness… continue reading on Shine.
13
Apr
2009
Singing talent of Susan Boyle stuns Simon Cowell into silence
Britain’s Got Talent sensation Susan Boyle has revealed the childhood bullying torment that spurred her bid for stardom.
Susan, 48, wowed judges and viewers with her version of hit West End show tune I Dreamed A Dream as the ITV1 series returned last night.
But she told how as a youngster she was ruthlessly mocked by other kids because being starved of oxygen at birth left her with learning difficulties.
Her ordeal saw her seek comfort in singing - a talent she discovered when she was five…continue reading at mirror.co.uk.
13
Apr
2009
Simon Cowell Leaving American Idol?
Apparently even Simon Cowell is mortal.
The man who brings a certain something to American Idol, its across-the-pond predecessor, X Factor, and Britain’s Got Talent, is beginning to question whether he can keep the candle burning at all three ends. And that’s not even factoring in his work as a music producer….continue reading at TVGuide.com.
10
Apr
2009
$1.29 songs dropping on iTunes charts
Well done record labels. Keep doing your thang and you won’t be more than a library for old copyrights...read more
10
Apr
2009
9
Apr
2009
One of the best young saxophonists out there….
My buddy Jake Saslow just launched his new website a few weeks ago. He’s finishing up his masters at the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz in New Orleans, where he’s had the opportunity to study and perform with jazz giants like Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Terrence Blanchard, Kurt Rosenwinkel and others.
Check it out at www.jakesaslow.com
9
Apr
2009
Kanye says ‘South Park’ put him in check
“South Park” may have accomplished the impossible — getting Kanye West to check his ego.
The Comedy Central show skewered the famously self-important rapper on its show Wednesday night, painting him as a narcissistic figure so out of touch with reality he couldn’t even take a (very politically incorrect) joke.
West’s love of himself and his work has been almost as integral to his image as his music: Just last year, he told The Associated Press that he was the “voice of this generation.” Also recently, he was quoted as saying his greatest regret was not being able to see himself perform live…read more
9
Apr
2009
Jesse Lewis interview
Here’s an interview on flyglobalmusic.com with my friend Jesse Lewis. Jesse is the guitarist on my upcoming debut jazz album. Click here to read the interview, or here to visit Jesse on the web.
9
Apr
2009
Kanye West, Auto-Tunes Idol
by Lyndsey Parker in Reality Rocks
When I learned that Kanye West would be onAmerican Idol this week, my mind boggled. I was more confused by this prospect than Paula Abdul is when she mixes up her medications. Was Kanye actually going to be a mentor? Past celebrity mentors on various genre-specific themed episodes of Idol have included Dolly Parton, Burt Bacharach, Barry Gibb, Neil Diamond, Gwen Stefani, and Stevie Wonder, so ‘Ye would certainly be in good company if that were the case…but then again, all of those people can, you know, actually SING. Kanye giving vocal pointers to this season’s American Idolhopefuls would only be appropriate, really, if this week’s theme was Auto-Tunes Night….read more
9
Apr
2009
The pot and the kettle…..
http://omg.yahoo.com/news/bill-o-reilly-blasts-eminem-for-mocking-sarah-palin-in-video/21072?nc
“Few Americans take the vile rapper Eminem seriously,” he said. “He represents the lowest form of entertainment in this country and is a publicity hound to boot.”
easily becomes:
“Few people take the vile Bill O’Reilly seriously,” he said. “He represents the lowest form of entertainment in this country and is a publicity hound to boot.”
p.s. although I agree with O’Reilly when he points out how the media would be all over Eminem if he was targeting Hilary Clinton or Michelle Obama, I also enjoy the irony that I would have never even have known about the Eminem rap if O’Reilly didn’t make a big stink about it.
p.p.s. yes, I’m aware that I’ve given also Bill O’Reilly more of an audience this time.
